Duralast Starters
Jul 23, 2009 | 05:59 AM
#1
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From: Denver, Colorado
Duralast Starters
So after I got my truck all fixed up with the ac and was ready to clean it I go to start it and I hear the awful CLICK
I've replaced this piece of starter 5 times within the past 4 years.
This will be the 6th!
At the time I bought the starter I figured it would last quite a bit but I guess I should have forked over the extra money.
The only reason I keep getting a new one is because it is under a lifetime warranty...
Here's the piece
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...83&searchText=
Long lasting performance my ass!
Guess you really do get what you pay for.
I've replaced this piece of starter 5 times within the past 4 years.
This will be the 6th!
At the time I bought the starter I figured it would last quite a bit but I guess I should have forked over the extra money.
The only reason I keep getting a new one is because it is under a lifetime warranty...
Here's the piece
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...83&searchText=
Long lasting performance my ass!
Guess you really do get what you pay for.
Last edited by waskillywabbit; Jul 23, 2009 at 02:17 PM.
Jul 23, 2009 | 06:08 AM
#3
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From: Denver, Colorado
Yeah well maybe when I go in today and they see i've replaced it 5 times already they will give me my money back.
The way I see it they are losing money and I am wasting time... It's a win win to just give me my money back!
The way I see it they are losing money and I am wasting time... It's a win win to just give me my money back!
Jul 23, 2009 | 06:51 AM
#4
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From: TENN Native Languishing in Virginia
All you have to do is replace the contacts on your original starter & it will probably last the life of the truck; you turned it in for core fee when you bought the other one, didn't you?!?
Jul 23, 2009 | 08:11 AM
#5
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From: Fresno, Ca.
Just a thought.....and I could be totally wrong but at least something to check out.....I would.
If a part fails so often there is usually a cause. Your original starter and then 5 more seems odd. Maybe the original got old, an you got a lemon from Autozone....Ok maybe another one after that......but 5??!! HHHmmmmm
Are you sure you have a good, heavy ground to the block. NOt the little 12ga. strap or wire.
I always run a 4-8 ga. to the block as close to the starter as possible. The starter pulls a lot of current and bad grounds, to small wire size cause a higher load. The same way a cheapie extension cord that is 100ft. long and 16ga. wire will F up your power tools. I never run those crappy orange 1/2 mile cords on any of my expensive power tools other than my cheapie leaf blower.
I guess if they are continuously free to replace, no worries. But for a couple of bucks I would pick up a 4ga ground and strap it right to the starter bolt next time you replace it. Dont know that it will fix your problem, but it certainly will not hurt and it may save you from having to replace it over and over again.
Anyone have an opinion on my thought. Am I full of it here??
If a part fails so often there is usually a cause. Your original starter and then 5 more seems odd. Maybe the original got old, an you got a lemon from Autozone....Ok maybe another one after that......but 5??!! HHHmmmmm
Are you sure you have a good, heavy ground to the block. NOt the little 12ga. strap or wire.
I always run a 4-8 ga. to the block as close to the starter as possible. The starter pulls a lot of current and bad grounds, to small wire size cause a higher load. The same way a cheapie extension cord that is 100ft. long and 16ga. wire will F up your power tools. I never run those crappy orange 1/2 mile cords on any of my expensive power tools other than my cheapie leaf blower.
I guess if they are continuously free to replace, no worries. But for a couple of bucks I would pick up a 4ga ground and strap it right to the starter bolt next time you replace it. Dont know that it will fix your problem, but it certainly will not hurt and it may save you from having to replace it over and over again.
Anyone have an opinion on my thought. Am I full of it here??
Jul 23, 2009 | 08:18 AM
#6
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From: Erie and Washington Pennsylvania
I dont care much for duralast stuff myself. I was putting new calipers on the front of my 72 corvette and actually went through 2 drivers side calipers and 1 pass side caliper before i got one that wasn't all messed up. The 2 halves of the caliper didnt match up on any of them. when you stepped on the brake brake fluid just poured out of em. And in case you arent that good at math, thats 3 DEFECTIVE PARTS! IN A ROW!!!! Duralast may be cheap... but your right... ya get what you pay for.
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Jul 23, 2009 | 08:46 AM
#9
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From: Denver, Colorado
So I just got done working on my truck and have a brand new starter from toyota!
Well, it is remanufactured but the parts lady assured me that all of the internal parts are new. She said that some auto parts stores have the lifetime warranty and when they receive a defective part they simply fix that defect and put the old parts back in with the one new part.
I went to Autozone and they looked me up to clearly see I have replaced the starter several times. Sometimes it would last me half a year while others a year. I think the longest period was for a year and a half.
So anyways I told the guy that this starter was a piece of s*** and that I wanted my money back. He checked it and sure enough gave me my money!
I called toyota, they had one, so I bought it!
Now I have a new starter. I'm sure this one will last no problem!
Well, it is remanufactured but the parts lady assured me that all of the internal parts are new. She said that some auto parts stores have the lifetime warranty and when they receive a defective part they simply fix that defect and put the old parts back in with the one new part.
I went to Autozone and they looked me up to clearly see I have replaced the starter several times. Sometimes it would last me half a year while others a year. I think the longest period was for a year and a half.
So anyways I told the guy that this starter was a piece of s*** and that I wanted my money back. He checked it and sure enough gave me my money!
I called toyota, they had one, so I bought it!
Now I have a new starter. I'm sure this one will last no problem!
Jul 23, 2009 | 08:48 AM
#10
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,336
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From: Harrisburg, PA
Just a thought.....and I could be totally wrong but at least something to check out.....I would.
If a part fails so often there is usually a cause. Your original starter and then 5 more seems odd. Maybe the original got old, an you got a lemon from Autozone....Ok maybe another one after that......but 5??!! HHHmmmmm
Are you sure you have a good, heavy ground to the block. NOt the little 12ga. strap or wire.
I always run a 4-8 ga. to the block as close to the starter as possible. The starter pulls a lot of current and bad grounds, to small wire size cause a higher load. The same way a cheapie extension cord that is 100ft. long and 16ga. wire will F up your power tools. I never run those crappy orange 1/2 mile cords on any of my expensive power tools other than my cheapie leaf blower.
I guess if they are continuously free to replace, no worries. But for a couple of bucks I would pick up a 4ga ground and strap it right to the starter bolt next time you replace it. Dont know that it will fix your problem, but it certainly will not hurt and it may save you from having to replace it over and over again.
Anyone have an opinion on my thought. Am I full of it here??
If a part fails so often there is usually a cause. Your original starter and then 5 more seems odd. Maybe the original got old, an you got a lemon from Autozone....Ok maybe another one after that......but 5??!! HHHmmmmm
Are you sure you have a good, heavy ground to the block. NOt the little 12ga. strap or wire.
I always run a 4-8 ga. to the block as close to the starter as possible. The starter pulls a lot of current and bad grounds, to small wire size cause a higher load. The same way a cheapie extension cord that is 100ft. long and 16ga. wire will F up your power tools. I never run those crappy orange 1/2 mile cords on any of my expensive power tools other than my cheapie leaf blower.
I guess if they are continuously free to replace, no worries. But for a couple of bucks I would pick up a 4ga ground and strap it right to the starter bolt next time you replace it. Dont know that it will fix your problem, but it certainly will not hurt and it may save you from having to replace it over and over again.
Anyone have an opinion on my thought. Am I full of it here??
Jul 23, 2009 | 08:54 AM
#11
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Denver, Colorado
Just a thought.....and I could be totally wrong but at least something to check out.....I would.
If a part fails so often there is usually a cause. Your original starter and then 5 more seems odd. Maybe the original got old, an you got a lemon from Autozone....Ok maybe another one after that......but 5??!! HHHmmmmm
Are you sure you have a good, heavy ground to the block. NOt the little 12ga. strap or wire.
I always run a 4-8 ga. to the block as close to the starter as possible. The starter pulls a lot of current and bad grounds, to small wire size cause a higher load. The same way a cheapie extension cord that is 100ft. long and 16ga. wire will F up your power tools. I never run those crappy orange 1/2 mile cords on any of my expensive power tools other than my cheapie leaf blower.
I guess if they are continuously free to replace, no worries. But for a couple of bucks I would pick up a 4ga ground and strap it right to the starter bolt next time you replace it. Dont know that it will fix your problem, but it certainly will not hurt and it may save you from having to replace it over and over again.
Anyone have an opinion on my thought. Am I full of it here??
If a part fails so often there is usually a cause. Your original starter and then 5 more seems odd. Maybe the original got old, an you got a lemon from Autozone....Ok maybe another one after that......but 5??!! HHHmmmmm
Are you sure you have a good, heavy ground to the block. NOt the little 12ga. strap or wire.
I always run a 4-8 ga. to the block as close to the starter as possible. The starter pulls a lot of current and bad grounds, to small wire size cause a higher load. The same way a cheapie extension cord that is 100ft. long and 16ga. wire will F up your power tools. I never run those crappy orange 1/2 mile cords on any of my expensive power tools other than my cheapie leaf blower.
I guess if they are continuously free to replace, no worries. But for a couple of bucks I would pick up a 4ga ground and strap it right to the starter bolt next time you replace it. Dont know that it will fix your problem, but it certainly will not hurt and it may save you from having to replace it over and over again.
Anyone have an opinion on my thought. Am I full of it here??
I would redo it but will it really make a difference?
I guess you just haven't sold me the idea yet.
Just doesn't make sense otherwise people's stock toyota's would always have starters go out and I never really hear of that happening.
I am going to stick to my theory that the duralast was just a p.o.s.
On a side note, I've never heard my trucks starter sound so perfect!
Last edited by 93YotaGuy; Jul 23, 2009 at 08:56 AM.
Jul 23, 2009 | 09:27 AM
#12
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,908
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From: Fresno, Ca.
as I said.....just a thought. For my theory to be correct I would assume that your Duralast product uses inferior parts and therefore more easily damaged by a poor ground. Much like a cheapie Ryobi tool would possibly burn up from a mile long extention cord, whereas a better built DeWalt/Festool, etc. make survive for longer periods of time.......but ultimately suffer death as well.
Glad you got it all worked out.
Glad you got it all worked out.
Last edited by dntsdad; Jul 23, 2009 at 09:31 AM.
Jul 23, 2009 | 06:39 PM
#14
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,166
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From: GrangeVille, Idaho
Go to www.partstrain.com , you can get a remanufactured Denso starter for about 100. dollars, i have one on my 4Runner and it works great. I wouldn`t put that Duralast crap on anything i own unless it was an emergency and it was all i could get at the time.
Jul 23, 2009 | 06:47 PM
#15
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Joined: Dec 2008
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From: NFM, Florida
Jul 23, 2009 | 07:43 PM
#16
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 12,248
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From: Lake City, Fl
I put an Advance Auto one on my 22re not too long ago, just cause I use to work there and I have connections still to get good discounts 
It gave me an issue once; it hung up and I smacked it with a large ratchet, and then it turned over, and has never given me issues since, lol
It's also lifetime warated, but I forget just how much it was...
It gave me an issue once; it hung up and I smacked it with a large ratchet, and then it turned over, and has never given me issues since, lol
It's also lifetime warated, but I forget just how much it was...
Jul 23, 2009 | 08:03 PM
#18
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 12,723
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From: Temecula Valley, CA
Why all the bashing on a vendor?
If parts repeatedly fail... one has to look at what the part does and what it requires to operate properly.
It's a starter so it needs a good ground, good voltage from the battery and likely just as important as everything else (heck, even more important since good grounds and battery voltage to the solenoid don't mean squat if this isn't correct...) a good current sink from the ignition switch. Make sure the start wire is getting good voltage and everything else in the circuit is capable of conducting the current to energize the solenoid. If, when the starter is acting up, you can jumper a wire from the battery to the start terminal on the starter solenoid and the starter works perfectly fine- it's not the starter, but rather some other issue between the solenoid and the ignition switch.
... and ignition switch contacts DO WEAR OUT...
If parts repeatedly fail... one has to look at what the part does and what it requires to operate properly.
It's a starter so it needs a good ground, good voltage from the battery and likely just as important as everything else (heck, even more important since good grounds and battery voltage to the solenoid don't mean squat if this isn't correct...) a good current sink from the ignition switch. Make sure the start wire is getting good voltage and everything else in the circuit is capable of conducting the current to energize the solenoid. If, when the starter is acting up, you can jumper a wire from the battery to the start terminal on the starter solenoid and the starter works perfectly fine- it's not the starter, but rather some other issue between the solenoid and the ignition switch.
... and ignition switch contacts DO WEAR OUT...
Last edited by abecedarian; Jul 23, 2009 at 08:05 PM.
Jul 23, 2009 | 08:16 PM
#19
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From: Denver, Colorado
Why all the bashing on a vendor?
If parts repeatedly fail... one has to look at what the part does and what it requires to operate properly.
It's a starter so it needs a good ground, good voltage from the battery and likely just as important as everything else (heck, even more important since good grounds and battery voltage to the solenoid don't mean squat if this isn't correct...) a good current sink from the ignition switch. Make sure the start wire is getting good voltage and everything else in the circuit is capable of conducting the current to energize the solenoid. If, when the starter is acting up, you can jumper a wire from the battery to the start terminal on the starter solenoid and the starter works perfectly fine- it's not the starter, but rather some other issue between the solenoid and the ignition switch.
... and ignition switch contacts DO WEAR OUT...
If parts repeatedly fail... one has to look at what the part does and what it requires to operate properly.
It's a starter so it needs a good ground, good voltage from the battery and likely just as important as everything else (heck, even more important since good grounds and battery voltage to the solenoid don't mean squat if this isn't correct...) a good current sink from the ignition switch. Make sure the start wire is getting good voltage and everything else in the circuit is capable of conducting the current to energize the solenoid. If, when the starter is acting up, you can jumper a wire from the battery to the start terminal on the starter solenoid and the starter works perfectly fine- it's not the starter, but rather some other issue between the solenoid and the ignition switch.
... and ignition switch contacts DO WEAR OUT...
Due to the bad experiences that I have had several times with the starter I will never buy parts like that from duralast again. However, this is just my opinion.
